When to use P21S cleanser?

T

tlsrmw

New member
When is it too soon to use P21S Gloss Enhancing Paintwork Cleanser?



I have a 2003 Acura that I've owned for about 5 weeks. I'm not sure how old the paint is, but I bought it new (8 miles on the odometer) and I'm thinking it's probably 3 months old (a month or so in transit, a month or less at the dealer and 5 weeks with me). Recently my car sat underneath a tree that dropped acorns onto the trunk lid during a rainstorm. The acorns left a spotty brown residue that I can scrape off with my fingernail without any resistance. The marks are too numerous to use my fingernail to clean my trunk, so I bought the P21S to clean it before waxing. However, the bottle says the product is "best for" paint jobs at least 6 months old. Naturally, I thought I'd ask the experts before I did anything.



Can I use the P21S now?



If not, what can I use to remove the marks?



On another front, I washed my car yesterday evening and woke up this morning to find that a bird liked the finish. (Funny, that never happens with my wife's 12 year old Volvo.) How do you remove the bird dropping without leaving any residue that can be harmful to the paint?



Thanks all.
 
I prepped my new car myself on the day I got it. One of the last steps in my detail was the p21s GEPC. It even removed some rapgard residue left on the car. You can definitely use it now.
 
tlsrmw- Welcome to Autopia. Your acorn-spots sound like a textbook example of what clay is for. I'd use clay (probably during the wash step) rather than overwhelming your P21S cleanser (which is GOOD stuff).



Also, use of a claybar (and/or AutoInt's ABC system) on a new car is a good idea. Especially if your car is light-colored, embedded ferrous contaminants (such as "rail dust") can cause rust-blooms if they aren't removed. I *ALWAYS* clay and ABC my new vehicles- no more rust-blooms.



It is NOT too soon to use the GEPC on your paint. The "6 month" bit is primarily concerned with non-factory paint (repaints). Factory paint is pretty much ready to polish/wax/etc. as soon as the vehicle leaves the factory. If there was any subsequent paintwork (at the dealer, point of import, etc.), then that's a different story and you SHOULD consider waiting.



Many people, myself included, use a QD and a MF (or a cotton swab/ball) to remove bird bombs. Just be careful so you don't scratch the finish- besides any dirt that might be on the finish, remember than bird bombs themselves often contain abrasive grit. A good sealant (like Klasse SG or Zaino) can provide a little added protection- the bird bombs have to eat through the sealant before they get to your paint and scratches you inflict might (hopefully) be in the sealant instead of in your paint.
 
tls, surely,



I second everything Accumulator said above.



Here's what I did on my black Audi: Wash with p21s shampoo ( I think this is similar to "C" in the ABC wash system), optional: clay next--in your case defintiely do so, GEPC, AIO, SG. I have about 9 coats of SG so far on the car. I did this the day the car came home from the dealer. For a new car you've had for a little while now I would carefully inspect the finish for any light scratches or swirls. If they are present I would go with 1z paint polish since I've heard so many fantastic things about it especially for black paint. I'll be getting some soon. I do have 3m PI III MG at the moment. After the 1z you could still use the GEPC or move right onto to the AIO/SG. All depends how long you want to be out there polishing :)



Hope this is helpful.
 
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